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Housewives lawsuit ends in mistrial

The cast of Desperate Housewives, including Nicollette Sheridan (right).

A US judge has declared a mistrial in Nicollette Sheridan's wrongful termination trial after the jury deadlocked, leaving an unresolved finale to a two-week trial that focused on the behind-the-scenes intrigue and personalities of TV's Desperate Housewives.

Sheridan strolled out of the courthouse moments after the decision without speaking to reporters. Her lawyer Mark Baute said he would re-try the case.

Sheridan (right) in a scene from Desperate Housewive with Teri Hatcher.

The jury first reported problems in deliberations on Thursday then resumed discussions until Monday.

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Sheridan had been seeking roughly $US6 million ($5.7 million) from her former employers.

The former Desperate Housewives actress claimed her role as Edie Britt was eliminated because she complained that series creator Marc Cherry struck her in the head during a September 2008 on-set dispute.

Lawyers for ABC, which airs the show, denied all wrongdoing and presented witnesses who said Cherry received permission from top studio and network officials to kill Britt four months before his dispute with Sheridan.

Cherry denied hitting the actress, claiming he tapped her on the head for artistic direction.

The jury of nine women and three men was presented conflicting evidence and testimony throughout the trial. A vote of at least 9-3 was required to reach a verdict.

Defence lawyer Adam Levin said Sheridan's account of Cherry striking her had grown "progressively more exaggerated" over the years, and pointed to the testimony of numerous witnesses who supported Cherry's testimony that he killed off the actress' role for creative reasons.

Baute accused ABC's witnesses of lying and destroying evidence.

During the trial, Baute said it didn't make sense that Sheridan's contract was renewed weeks after the decision to dump her character. The agreement guaranteed the actress would be paid for the entire season and get a full share of the series' profits.

Levin and defence witnesses frequently cited the death toll for characters in the show as evidence that Sheridan's role could be cut at any time. Many of the deaths involved minor characters.

The trial featured days of testimony from Sheridan, Cherry, actor James Denton and several current and former show workers. It did not feature appearances by any of the show's other stars, including Eva Longoria and Felicity Huffman.

Desperate Housewives, which airs on Seven in Australia, is in its eighth and final season.

Cherry is working on other projects, including a new show titled Devious Maids, but Sheridan has struggled since leaving the series' Wisteria Lane. She has not found steady work or an agent in the past two years, her entertainment lawyer told jurors.